The Ladies of Imladris
by Gemstarzah
Summary: In which Aragorn learns of Celebrian and Arwen and realizes that there are some pains that do not easily go away. Written for teitho June 2016 'Pain" in which I did not place


Aragorn knew, he always had, that someone was missing from Rivendell. It was something in the air that told him. While he had walked here for twenty years now, he had never thought to ask about it. Mostly due to being underage and not believing they would tell him, let alone listen to him.

 _Yesterday, my name was Estel, hope: today it is apparently Aragorn. I was brought up with a false name. Why would Elrond, and my brothers, do that?_ He couldn't understand why his mother had agreed to the farce either!

He knew it was done with the intent to protect him; still, he did not like the fact that his whole life until now had been a lie! _I grew up thinking I was one person, and now, it seems that was the wrong person!_ Surely the elves couldn't think that he would just get past this on his own!

He paused as he saw a familiar painting on one of the walls. It dominated the wall, and he knew all the names of the faces, except for one. There was Elrond, with Elladan, Elrohir and Arwen. Next to Elrond was a golden haired elleth whose name he simply did not know. No one speaks of her, yet, it's clear she was someone very dear to Elrond.

Aragorn sat down on a bench nearby, looking at the painting. _Is she another part of the past that has been hidden from me? Is she the one that I feel is missing from the valley and if so, where is she?_ He did not understand why he had never seen her in the valley. There would be a reason she wasn't here, and indeed, Elrond rarely mentioned anyone not being here.

 _Did she fade?_ No, this elleth could not have faded, he knew from many times being told, that the death of an elf's mate would usually bring about the death of their living partner. _Elrond wouldn't be here if she has faded, as strong as he is, I doubt he would want to stay on without her._

The elleth was beautiful, but not as beautiful as her daughter, or so Aragorn thought. He continued to stare at the portrait.

"Staring at our sister are you?"

Aragorn jumped when he heard that voice. Looking toward the elf it had come from, he noticed from the window behind the newcomer, emerald beads in his braids, which made him Elladan, that the sun was beginning its descent toward the horizon.

 _I've been sitting here for hours!_

"Actually no, I wasn't," Aragorn replied. "More at the unknown face in that portrait. No one has ever spoken of her to me, Elladan…"

Elladan looked over at the picture and winced.

"That is because that is our naneth, Celebrian, who sailed into the West long before you were born, Estel."

He had never seen Elladan wince at the mention of a family member before. This was unexpected news. _That's the daughter of Galadriel and Celeborn?_ News like this wasn't dropped every day!

"Won't you see her again?" Aragorn asked.

If anything, he'd learned while living here, it was that all the elves were able to Valinor when there was a need, and that they would be reunited with those who sailed after them eventually.

"I will not leave Middle-Earth without my brother," Elladan replied.

Aragorn raised an eyebrow. _Has something come between my brothers?_ It did not seem likely, but he had never really wanted to know too much about their twin bond. They had always seemed immensely close whenever he was around them both.

"Even so, neither Elrohir nor I will leave while there are still orcs in Middle-Earth. Not after what they did to her."

That made a few things make sense. So it had been orcs that had caused Lady Celebrian to sail into the west, possibly never to see her children again. Aragorn frowned.

"I'm sorry that happened to you Elladan…"

He knew orcs had been the reason he had come to Imladris when he was little, his mother had told him of that. _Seems there is something in common between my brothers and I, though it is nothing pleasant._ Perhaps now was a good time to change the topic, at least to someone who was still here in Middle-Earth.

"What of your sister though? I have never seen her in Imladris either."

He looked back at the painting of Elladan's family. He knew he would have remembered seeing Arwen if he had seen an elleth of such beauty here in the valley.

"She dwells most in Lothlorien," Elladan replied. "Our grandnaneth is the only female family member left, and Arwen has always enjoyed her company. It is hard for Arwen to be here, as it is for us though we do at times return from the wilds."

 _So the most beautiful of ellith that I have ever seen resides in the Golden Wood._ One day, Aragorn knew he would have to travel there. _I have to meet her!_ To do so he knew he had to leave Imladris, but he couldn't stay here all his life as much as he liked living with the elves.

Idly he noticed that Elladan was walking away. Aragorn said no more toward his brother, uncertain that his current train of thought would be a wise one to bring to the elf's attention. After all, he was thinking about Elladan's sister.

 _I'm certain you'll find a way to be with your mother again, Elladan._

That was something easier sorted out than the challenge it seemed had been placed his way. If he wanted to meet Arwen, well, there was no telling that he would ever be able to have her. _Elrond will tell me that it's wrong for me to want his daughter. That was only too likely. I am mortal, she is not._ Still, he knew he would leave the valley.

 _Perhaps I should go and seek out my nana's kin, after all, it is to them that I really belong, not the elves._ He had met one of the rangers before, and one of their young ones, but it had been at least a decade since he'd seen his friend, Halbarad. Things had been too dangerous for any of the rangers to visit the valley.

 _They cannot come here, so I will go to them!_

That in mind, Aragorn left his seat, and went toward his room to pack what few things he might take with him into the wild.

"Aragorn!"

Aragorn looked up at the sound of Faramir's voice from where he was walking down the Hall of Kings in Minas Tirith.

"What is it Faramir?"

The younger man came to a stop before him.

"Elves are coming," Faramir replied.

 _At last…_ Aragorn had been afraid that all he had done had been for nothing over the past decades. He headed outside, looking toward where the riders would have to come from.

Even with eyes that did not have elven sight, he could see them. There, riding beside Elrond, was Arwen.

"Our queen comes…"


End file.
